marina abramovic: the artist is present

marina abramović: the artist is present MoMA, new york on now until may 31st, 2010

‘the artist is present’ is performance artist’s marina abramović’s (yugoslavia, b. 1946) first large-scale retrospective at an american museum, which tracks her career spanning over the last four decades. the show presents approximately 50 of abramović’s works which include, interventions and sound pieces, video works, installations, photography, solo and collaborative performances done with artist ulay (uwe lyasiepen) her partner from 1975 to 1988.

installation view of marina abramović’s performance ‘the artist is present’ at the museum of modern art, 2010 © 2010 marina abramović courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york photo by scott rudd

internationally recognized as a pioneer and key figure in performance art, abramović uses her own body as subject, object and medium, exploring physical and mental limits of her being. known for her durational works, abramović has created a new work for this retrospective entitled ‘the artist is present’ (2010) in which she is performing daily in MoMA’s donald b. and catherine c. marron atrium during public hours. for this longest solo piece to date, she will sit in silence at a table, inviting visitors to take the seat across from her for as long as they choose within the timeframe of the museum’s hours of operation. she will not respond to the participants, but their involvement completes the work, allowing them to have a personal experience the the artist and the performance piece itself.

you can watch a live feed of the performance here.

marina abramović and ulay ‘breathing in / breathing out’ first performed in 1977 for 19 miuntes at the student cultural center, belgrade 16 mm film transferred to video (black and white, sound), 10:26© 2010 marina abramović courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york reperformed continuously in shifts throughout the exhibition ‘marina abramović: the artist is present’ at MoMA

the exhibition is a chronological installation reflecting, documenting and exhibiting abramović’s ephemeral time and media based works. within the show, five of her most influential pieces will be ‘reperformed’ by a group of 39 performers chosen by abramović herself. these reperformances will be shown continuously in shifts throughout public hours in the sixth floor galleries. they are: ‘imponderabilia’, ‘point of contact’, ‘luminosity’, ‘nude with skeleton’ and ‘relation in time’.

marina abramović and ulay ‘relation in time’, 1977 / 2010 originally performed at 1977 for 17 hours at studio G7, bologna still from 16mm film transferred to video (black and white, sound), 50:33 min© 2010 marina abramović courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york reperformed continuously in shifts throughout the exhibition ‘marina abramović: the artist is present’ at MoMA

in ‘relation in time’, two performers sit quietly, connected to each other by their long hair, which is tied together.

marina abramović and ulay ‘point of contact’, 1980 / 2010originally performed in 1980 for one hour at de appel gallery, amsterdam production image (black and white) for 16mm film transferred to video (color, silent), 19:06 min© 2010 marina abramović courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york reperformed continuously in shifts throughout the exhibition ‘marina abramović: the artist is present’ at MoMA

‘point of contact’ sees two performers stand face to face with arms bent, just barely touching the tip of each other’s index finger.

marina abramović and ulay ‘imponderabilia’, 1977 / 2010originally performed in 1977 for 90 min galleria comunale d’arte moderna, bologna still from 16 mm film transferred to video (black and white, sound) 52:16 min© 2010 marina abramović courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york reperformed continuously in shifts throughout the exhibition ‘marina abramović: the artist is present’ at MoMA

in ‘imponderabilia’, two nude performers stand opposite each other in a doorway so visitors who wish to pass must move through the gap between the two, deciding to face him or her.

‘nude with skeleton’, 2002-2005 / 2010black-and-white photograph 50 x 80 1/4 (125 x 145 cm)© 2010 marina abramović courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york reperformed continuously in shifts throughout the exhibition ‘marina abramović: the artist is present’at MoMA

a nude performer lies beneath a skeleton, animating it with the motions of his or her breathing in the piece ‘nude with skeleton’.

‘luminosity’, 1997 / 2010 originally performed in 1997 for two hours at sean kelly gallery, new york, 2997 still video (color, sound), 4:45 min© 2010 marina abramović courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york

in ‘luminosity’, a nude performer is suspended high upon a wall and immersed in light, giving the appearance of floating before the wall.

installation view of marina abramović’s ‘balkan baroque’, the museum of modern art, 2010 © 2010 marina abramović courtesy of the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york photo by jason mandella

‘balkan baroque’ was originally performed in 1997 for four days, six hours each day at the 47th venice art biennale. it consists of three-channel video (color, sound), copper sinks and tub filled with black water, bucket, soap, metal brush, dress stained with blood.

entrance to the exhibition ‘marina abramović: the artist is present’, the museum of modern art, 2010 © 2010 marina abramović musée d’art contemporain de lyon; video and sound environment courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / aritsts rights society (ARS), new york photo by jason mandella

in the above photo: marina abramović and ulay, ‘relation in movement’, 1977. video (black and white, silent), sound environment (2010), citroën type H bus, fourteen black-and-white photographs and megaphone 34:50 min.

this exhibition has organized by klaus biesenbach, director, P.S. 1 contemporary art center, and chief curator at large, the museum of modern art.

marina abramovic (12)